Fly For Me
by Jazmin
Summary: An AU fic, taking place in a time where there are princesses and princes, magical pendants and guymelefs, evil brothers and winged youths, and of course...love and promises.


Fly For Me  
  
This is a AU fic, but I'll try to stay as true to the characters'   
original personalities as possible. Be sure to email me with   
suggestions and feedback! =)   
  
Disclaimer: Tenkuu no Escaflowne is the property of its original   
creators. I'm not making any profits by doing this. The characters   
are not mine, but this fic is.   
  
http://www33.brinkster.com/wingedadoration  
  
* * *  
  
Prologue   
  
The dark room was filled with an apprehensive atmosphere that no   
one felt comfortable in.   
  
The king stood alone at the edge of the bed, watching its occupant   
with a pair of eyes clouded with sorrow. The queen was quietly sobbing   
at the other end of the room, averting her eyes from those of the old   
woman's.   
  
"Now…" the gray-haired woman stated in a raspy voice, "leave me   
a few moments alone with my granddaughter." She began to cough   
immediately, arousing concern from those standing around her. Detecting   
the others' hesitancy, she mustered up energy and exclaimed, "Now!"  
  
The king glanced over at his daughter, who was in the arms of his   
wife, and gravely nodded. He walked over to them, and pushed the girl   
forward to the bed. He then pointedly looked around the room, and went   
out the door.   
  
Everyone followed suit and exited the room, leaving behind the   
nine-year-old girl.   
  
The old woman smiled as her gaze fell upon the small girl.   
"Come here child."   
  
The auburn-haired child took several brave steps closer, and then   
stopped, tentative. "Grandma…"   
  
"You do know grandma will be gone soon, don't you?" The old   
woman's tone was especially soft.   
  
"That's what mother told me, but I don't understand…" She   
fidgeted with the edge of her dress, unsure of what she wanted to say.   
  
"Child…one day you'll be the ruler of this kingdom. You're   
special…you've always been special, because you're the sole heir. You   
need to surmount conflicts and difficult tasks, and you need to think   
wisely, must outsmart everyone else." Another fit of coughs interrupted   
the old woman's speech, and the small girl quickly closed the distance   
between her and the bed, fear spreading over her childish face.   
  
The old woman briefly shut her eyes, then opened them again with   
a gentle smile. "You might not understand what I'm saying now, but you   
will remember my words darling. And this--" She unclasped a necklace   
from her throat, "will help give you strength." She smiled warmly at   
her granddaughter, and put the pendant carefully in the girl's hand.   
  
"Thank you grandma." The little girl stifled a cry and lowered   
her head to the old woman's chest.   
  
The pale woman caressed the child's hair affectionately. "You'll   
need courage in your life, my darling, but you won't have to stand   
alone. You'll have someone to support you, to help you, to love you.   
And that person will be the one you'll love for all eternity."   
  
"L-love?" The girl looked up, murmuring the word with  
difficulty.   
  
Her grandmother nodded faintly, closing her languid eyes. "He   
will come to you with wings…and take you away from all the tumult   
that is this world."   
  
And the last breath escaped from the old woman's lips.   
  
* * *  
  
The sunlight cast a warm blanket over her bare shoulders as she   
walked quietly in the grass. She loved walking barefoot on the soft   
green ground, especially in a day filled with carefree breezes and   
lazy sunlight.  
  
Hitomi Kanzaki threw her arms over her head, and basked in the   
sunshine as a small smile spread over her lips. She closed her eyes   
and let the wind sweep her face and lift up her auburn hair, which was   
now shoulder-length. It had been forever since she'd let it grow past   
her neck.   
  
She gently let down her arms and looked at her surroundings   
carefully. This piece of land, garnished with blooming buds and handsome   
verdure, was what separated Kanzakial and Fanelia; it was easy to get   
to the other kingdom by simply crossing through the forest and dodging  
the watchful eyes of the guards.   
  
She'd go there today. After all, she became sixteen today. Being   
sixteen meant changes, meant venturing, meant doing something out of   
the ordinary. And to cross the border and slip into another kingdom   
meant just that. She was a princess, one who was never disobedient--  
but, Hitomi grinned, she could afford being mischievous for one day.   
  
Taking a gander around her, she deemed that no servant was close   
enough to notice what she was doing. A lopsided smile adorned her lips  
as she quietly lowered herself to the ground until she was lying flat   
on her back. The grass beside her tickled her temple, and her heart   
pounded as she thought over what to do next.   
  
The subsequent step then occurred to her naturally. Hitomi took   
a deep breath, arched her neck upward to look at the distance between   
her and the forest, then lowered her head once more.   
  
"Here I go…" she murmured, closing her eyes. Galvanized with the   
thought of being adventurous, she mustered up energy and started   
rolling to her right.   
  
She refrained from laughing out loud as she felt her dress tangle   
up between her legs and her hair whip around her cheeks. Suddenly she   
slammed against a rough surface as her body jammed to a stop. Rubbing   
the side of her thigh that scraped against the tree bark, she slowly   
stood up and looked back.   
  
The figures of her servants were now no bigger than her thumb.   
Hitomi felt a bit guilty, thinking of the temporary havoc she could   
cause by this abrupt disappearance.   
  
Then, as the breeze picked up her hair and the fresh smell of   
the forest entered her nostrils, she forgot about her guilt and reveled   
in the fact that she was about to enter another kingdom.   
  
Picking up her bare feet, she gathered her skirt into her hands   
and walked slowly, taking in the sight around her. She regretted that   
she hadn't decided to be bold and come here sooner; it was a place   
filled with wonder and beauty.   
  
As a bird chirped and flew over her head, she smiled and lowered   
herself to a place near a tree trunk, darting her gaze around   
incessantly. She'd stay here for a while before she would cross to the   
other kingdom.   
  
She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until a sharp neigh   
screamed into her ears. She was startled into consciousness, and her   
eyes were still adjusting to her surroundings as she stood up. And   
still when she was knocked off.   
  
Hitomi was spun around due to the speed of the force that knocked   
her, and she squinted her eyes shut as her knees slammed down harshly  
on the rough roots of the tree. A painful cry escaped her lips, and   
her hands reached out automatically prevent her upper body from   
hitting the ground also.   
  
She heard another high-pitched neigh, and glanced up agonizingly   
in that direction. She only saw a figure on a white horse; it took all   
of her concentration to refrain from bursting into tears as the pain   
in her knees grew. She bit her lip, and slowly pulled herself to an   
upright position, closing her hands over knees.   
  
She heard the sound of hooves and feet on the ground, but she did   
not care to look up.   
  
"Are…are you all right?" A voice. A young man's, she decided,   
who was probably not older than her.   
  
She didn't answer. Only pulled up her skirt until the bloody   
scratches on her knees were exposed. She heard a gasp--she didn't know   
whether it was from her or from him.   
  
The boy lowered himself and kneeled next to her; his breath   
tickled the back of her ears. "I am so sorry. I did not see you at   
all--you just appeared out of nowhere!"  
  
Hitomi swung her head around to glare into his round eyes. "Well   
EXCUSE me then! I must be the one who was crazy enough to fall HARD   
on my knees purposely!"  
  
He pulled back, surprised by the volume of her voice. "I…didn't   
mean it like that. I was just surprised to see you-there's usually no   
one in the forest this time of the day."   
  
She unsuccessfully tried to stop the bleeding with the hem of   
her dress, ignoring his remark. She couldn't believe her luck. Her   
first day as a sixteen-year-old, and she had already hurt herself.   
  
'Well…' she thought, looking up to send an angry stare to the   
raven-haired boy before her, 'it wasn't totally my fault.'   
  
"You're not from Fanelia, are you?" He asked, bending forward   
slightly to take a closer look at her knee.   
  
She arched an eyebrow at him. "What does it matter to you?"   
  
"Guess you aren't." He grinned at her, and then tore off a part   
of his sleeve. He bit the middle of the fabric, causing it to rip   
effortlessly. He grabbed two corners of the cloth and proceeded to tie   
it around Hitomi's knees.   
  
Hitomi silently watched him work, as if in a daze. She grunted   
in pain when he tied a fierce knot, but gave him a reassuring half-smile   
when he immediately started to apologize. "Thanks," she mumbled   
quietly to the boy who had caused her fall.   
  
"I do that to myself all the time," he admitted sheepishly, "it   
hurts like hell when the skin is ripped off."   
  
"Yea…no kidding." Hitomi placed a hand on the tree trunk near   
her, and tried to stand up gradually. Her knees trembled a bit, and   
she bit her lips in agony.   
  
He put an arm around her waist wordlessly, pushing them both up.   
  
She started to recoil from his touch, but realized that she could   
use his help. "Thanks again," she stated.   
  
"I'm Van, by the way." He smiled at her after they were both   
standing still.   
  
"Hitomi." She looked away from his warm eyes. She glanced up at   
the setting sun. "I should be getting back." A bird sang above her.   
  
"You mean to Kanzakial?"   
  
She nodded, and picked up the bottom of her dress, starting   
forward.   
  
"I'll give you a ride," Van took a stride toward her, stopping   
her temporarily.   
  
Hitomi turned to look at the white horse nibbling at the grass   
near them, and shook her head. "I think it'd be better if I walk…so   
I can get use to the pain."   
  
He glanced down at her leg, and squinted his eyes at her   
uncertainly. "But--"  
  
"Van. Thank you for your help, but I can take care of myself   
from here," she insisted, walking ahead again. She hoped he wouldn't   
follow her.   
  
"It was my fault that you got hurt in the first place. No need   
for thanks."   
  
"Bye, Van." She stopped to smile back at him one last time.  
  
"Hope we meet again…Hitomi." A grin spread across his face as   
he quickly added, "And I promise I won't knock you down again."   
  
She didn't reply, only walked forward with a slight smile   
hanging on her lips.  
  
* * *  
  
Night came before she realized that she had lost her pendant.   
  
* * *   
  
Comments? nocturnelite@graffiti.net 


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